The Japanese Appoach to Art

Understanding, Craft, Way

We have said that ...

At Hare-Yama Ryu we believe that art in any form requires three essential elements.

Firstly one needs understanding of the elements of the art form

Secondly one needs the technique and craft to bring an artwork into existence

Thirdly one needs imagination, insight and intuition; to add a uniqueness and

a new page to the chapter on the art form

In Japanese art forms, the principle of

Gaku, Jutsu, Do

is a parallel viewpoint

Gaku means the Knowledge, Study and Understanding needed

     to fully appreciate the art, its techniques,

     the media, the history, the artists

Jutsu means practical arts, or craft,

     practising that leads to good abilities,

     and repetition that strives for perfection

Do is the Way, the Spirit, the Purpose

     that gives direction and meaning

     and the way forward,

     and captures the essence of the artist

Every thing we do,

and everything we do,

can - no should -

have all these three elements

To make any art complete, these must form an enso,

a circle the repeats and repeats, getting larger, no start no finish

training just to train

doing just to do

improving through the dokan, the ring of the way

growing and expanding

At which point in this enso we begin, or are drawn into the art is not important,

but each of these three aspects must be part of the enso

to make the art form live

so that it can take us forward

cycle by cycle

in body, mind and spirit

because ...

Things done with just

will wither and die

Things that remain just

are only good for the eye

Things that have no

are pie in the sky

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Last updated 2010-02-24 16:32